What I Self Host

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Local Apps vs Networked Services

  • One side asks why not just run a single native app per device (e.g., Spotify client, RSS reader) instead of a web UI on a separate server you own.
  • Others argue multi-device use (phones, tablets, laptops, multi-user households) makes a central service much more convenient than syncing and managing local apps everywhere.
  • Continuous tasks (e.g., live Spotify listening stats, phone backups, Mastodon inboxes) require something running 24/7, which doesn’t map well to “just a desktop app.”

Motivations for Self-Hosting

  • Common goals: access from anywhere, centralized backups, avoiding large corporations’ control over personal data (“data sovereignty”), and the fun/hobby aspect.
  • Some participants explicitly prefer minimal devices, offline workflows, and local-only backups; they see multi-device sync and self-hosting as over-engineering for imagined problems.
  • Others counter that flexibility (reading RSS on multiple devices, streaming personal media on the go) is a feature, not a vice.

What “Self-Hosting” Means

  • One strong view: if it’s on rented/cloud hardware or depends on “cloud” services, it’s not self-hosting; that’s just renting hosting and self-administering software.
  • Many push back: controlling the software stack (even on VPS/IaaS) is widely understood as self-hosting; “on-prem” is used when hardware location matters.
  • Debate extends into language philosophy (prescriptive vs descriptive meanings, word drift, analogies like self-farming and driving rentals).

Home Hardware vs VPS / Colocation

  • Some run everything at home for maximum control and independence from big providers, accepting bandwidth, uptime, and noise trade-offs.
  • Others prefer VPSs or bare-metal rentals for reliability, less noise and power hassle, and easier DDoS handling; colo is pitched as a “best of both worlds” option if affordable.
  • General consensus: it’s a spectrum; where you draw the line depends on risk tolerance, budget, and goals.

Tools, Ecosystem, and Costs

  • Mentioned self-hosted tools: Navidrome/Jellyfin/Feishin/Symfonium, Roon (commercial), linkding, archivebox, readeck, Siyuan, leantime, WireGuard/Tailscale, and more.
  • Some like “opinionated” software as it reduces configuration burden; others dislike the term and prefer highly configurable tools.
  • Services like Pikapods are praised for developer revenue but criticized because per-app pricing can quickly exceed a cheap VPS.